Engine-starter



W. L. McGRATH.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICAHON FILED AUG.2. 1919.

1 ,396,5 1 '7 Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

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ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-2| 1919. v

1 ,396, 5 1 7 Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

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WILLIAM L. ICGBATE, OF ELIIBA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELKIRA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Enema-suntan.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application filed Augult 2,- 1919. Serial No. 814,950.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L.v Mc- GRATH, a citizen of the United States, residin at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a starter drive for gasolene engines and the like and of the general type known as the Eclipse-Bendix drive which is characterized by a rotatable driving shaft such as a screw shaft and a driving member such a a pinion screw threaded thereon for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, and adapted to operate directly or indirectly a member of the engine to be started. This drive is further characterized b a yielding driving connection such as a drive spring between such screw shaft and a driving shaft operated b a prime mover such as an electric motor. he object of my invention is to provide a construction of .drive and associated or supporting -parts which will ,be compact and occupy a minimum of space,

and also permit of the use of a pinion provided with a minimum number of teeth whereby the pinion may be reduced to the smallest diameter. constructed that a considerable portion thereof is inclosed within its supporting housing or mounting and only that portion such as the pinions and a part of the screw shaft projects therebeyond for connection with the engine member such as the flywheel.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an en 'ne starter embodying my invention; and ig. 2 a similar view of a modified form of construction.

Referring to the embodiment of my invention as shown in Fig. 1 the prime mover which is an electric motor 1 has an extended armature shaft 2 which projects'beyond the end of the motor and to which the drive hereinafter described is attached and by which it is driven. To the end .of the motor a drive housing or mounting 3 is se- The drive itself is so this main support 5 in proper position both axially and angularly in suitable manner as 8 in the side of the housing 3. This bolt thus locks and secures the housing in its proper position within its support. This bolt i provided with a lock nut 9.

The housing 3 contains a part of the drive or transmission, the remaining part being the screw shaft and the pinion. Describing the drive as herein shown, a driving head or collar 10 is secured to the shaft 2 by means of the bolt 11. This driving head is ecured to a driven head 12 by means of the driving spring 13 one end of which is anchored to the driving head 10 by the bolt 11 and the other end to the drivenhead. 12 by the bolt 14. This latter head 12 is mounted loosely upon the shaft 2 and its central bore is screw threaded for a portion of its length at 15 and into such latter bore is screwed the screw shaft 16. A projection 17 on the driven head 12 act as a stop nut for the pinion. The driven head 12 15 supported by the housing 3 in the opening 18 forming a bearing for the drive.

The driving member which is here a pinion 19 is screw threaded upon the shaft lfi and has a portion of its outer end cut away so as to provide an over-balancing or weighted portion 20, the ends of the screw threads forming positive stops as usual for the pinion in its return to normal position. This pinion is adapted to mesh with the engine member which is here indicated as the flywheel 22.

Describing a cycle of operation and starting with the parts in the normal position shown, when the motor is operated and the Shaft 2. thereby rotated, the torque will be transmitted to the drive through the driving head 10, spring 13, head 12 and screw shaft 16, with the result that the pinion will be automatically advanced longitudinall to the left into mesh with the flywheel. on this longitudinal movement is arrested by the stop 17 the pinion will partake of the rota movement of its shaft and the flywheel wi be rotated and the engine started. Whenthe engine has started on its own power the pinion will be automatically demeshed and returned to the normal position shown.

The described construction is very comof the drive is substantially the same as that already described except that the screw'shaft may or may not be an integral part of the driving head 12.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a prime mover and its driving shaft, of a housing secured thereto and having a supporting bearing, and a drive comprising a driving head connected with the driving shaft and located Within the housing, and supported by said supporting bearing, a rotatable shaft connectedwith. such head and projecting beyond said housing, said rotable shaft being not substantially larger in diameter than the driving shaft and in axial alinement therewith, and a driving member mounted upon the rotatable shaft and having a longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith. V

2.'The combination, with a prime mover and its driving shaft, of a housing secured thereto and having a supporting bearing, and a drive comprlsing a driving head connected with the driving shaft and located within the housing'and supported by said supporting bearing, a rotatable shaft detachably connected with such head and projectin' beyond said housing, said detachable shaft eing in axial alinement with the shaft of the prime mover, and a driving member mounted upon the rotatable shaft and having .a longitudinal movement thereof and rotar movement therewith.

3. he combination, with a prime mover and its driving shaft, ofa housing secured thereto and having a supporting bearing,

said housing, and'a driving member mounted upon the rotatable shaft and having a longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

' 4. In an engine starter drive, the combination, with an electric motor, and its driving shaft, of a housing secured to the motor an having a bearing, and a drive comprisinga driving head connected with the driving shaft and located within the housing and supported by said bearin said head having a central bore where y. it is mounted upon the driving shaft, a screw shaft connected with such head and projecting beyond ,said housing, said screw shaft being secured in said bore of the head and in axial alinement with the driving shaft, and a pinion threaded on the shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith.

5. The combination of a prime mover and its driving shaft, of a housin secured thereto and having a supporting caring, a.

main support for such housing, means for locating and securing the housing in such support, and a drive comprising a driving head connecting with the driving shaft and located within the housing and supported by said bearing, a rotatable shaft connected with such head and projecting beyond said housing, and a driving member mounted upon the rotatable shaft and having a longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, said locating and securing means comprising a bolt screw-threaded into the main support and having a tapered end, said housing having a tapered hole to receive said end. v

WILLIAM L. MOGRATH. 

